Portable speaker system

ABSTRACT

A portable audio input/output device may include one or more openings that extend through a cover of the device and allow acoustic signals outside a housing of the device to reach a microphone disposed within the housing. The opening(s) may be illuminated by a light guide disposed within the housing, which scatters light emitted from lights disposed within the housing. In some instances, a hole may pass through a printed circuit board to allow acoustic signals to be received by the microphone disposed below the printed circuit board. An input/output (I/O) interface module with multiple buttons and inputs may be installed in the hole. The multiple buttons and I/O ports of the I/O interface module may be aligned along an axis vertical relative to the housing and centered with respect to each other.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/535,535, filed on Aug. 8, 2019, entitled“PORTABLE SPEAKER SYSTEM”, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/801,102, filed on Nov. 1, 2017, entitled“PORTABLE SPEAKER SYSTEM”, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/869,897, filed on Sep. 29, 2015, entitled“PORTABLE SPEAKER SYSTEM”, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,843,851, which issued onDec. 12, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 62/165,890, filed May 22, 2015, entitled “PORTABLE AUDIOINPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE,” which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Homes are becoming more connected with the proliferation of computingdevices, such as desktops, tablets, entertainment systems, and portablecommunication devices. As these computing devices continue to evolve,many different ways have been introduced to allow users to interact withthe computing devices, such as through speech. In order to receiveacoustic signals, existing products typically have multiple microphoneports in the enclosure of the device. This exposes the microphones topotential damage from spills or moisture, and detracts from theaesthetic appearance of the device. Also, existing devices providenumerous indicator lights to provide information to a user. However, thenumber of indicator lights increases the cost of the devices and thechances that one of the indicators will fail. Additionally, existingdevices that have a flexible exterior material are typically made ofmultiple panels of material or have one or more seams. This weakens thematerial and detracts from the aesthetic appearance of these devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example portable audioinput/output device taken from above.

FIG. 2 illustrates another perspective view of the example portableaudio input/output device of FIG. 1 taken from below.

FIG. 3A illustrates a partial exploded view of the example portableaudio input/output device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B illustrates a schematic view showing installation of theseamless tube of material on a cylindrical frame of the housing.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a top portion of the exampleportable audio input/output device of FIG. 1, showing openings in acover assembly of the portable audio input/output device.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cutaway perspective view of the example portableaudio/input device of FIG. 1, with a cover removed to show ports passingthrough a light guide of the portable audio/input device.

FIG. 6 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a top portion ofthe example portable audio/input device of FIG. 1, showing details ofthe cover assembly and light guide.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an example input/outputinterface module installable in the portable audio/input device of FIG.1.

FIG. 8 illustrates a partial exploded view of the example input/outputinterface module of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 illustrates a partial cross sectional view of an example seamlesstube material encircling an exterior housing of the portable audio/inputdevice of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 illustrates a partial exploded view of the example portableaudio input/output device of FIG. 1, showing additional details ofinstallation of the seamless tube of material.

FIG. 11 illustrates a partial cross sectional view of an examplecharging foot of the example portable audio/input device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic view of the example portable audio/inputdevice being placed in a charging station.

FIG. 13A illustrates a partial exploded view of the example portableaudio input/output device of FIG. 1, showing the installation of aprinted circuit board navigation component onto an assembly enclosure.

FIG. 13B illustrates a perspective view showing the completedinstallation of a printed circuit board navigation component onto anassembly enclosure.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example method of assembling astand-alone acoustically-sealed I/O interface module.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example method of installing aseamless material on the example portable audio/input device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, existing electronic devices that receive audio inputoften have multiple microphone ports in the enclosure. These multiplemicrophone ports expose the microphones to damage from liquid (e.g.,spills, rain, etc.) and detract from the aesthetic appearance of thedevices. Many existing electronic devices also include numerousindicator lights which increase the cost of the devices and likelihoodof a light failing. In the case of electronic devices, such as speakers,which have flexible exterior material, the exterior of the devices istypically made of multiple panels of material and/or has a seam in thematerial, which results in weaker and less aesthetically appealingexterior appearances.

This application describes electronic devices and techniques formanufacturing electronic devices that, in some examples, prevent damageto components of the devices. In some examples, electronic devicesaccording to this application may have a light guide for evenlyilluminating one or more indicators in a cover of the electronic deviceusing fewer lighting emitting devices than there are indicators. In someexamples, one or more of the indicators may comprise openings or portsthat serve the additional purpose of transmitting audio signals from anexterior of the electronic device to a microphone located inside ahousing of the electronic device. Electronic devices according to thisapplication may additionally or alternatively include a flexibleexterior material that is seamless and provides strong, flexibleexterior that has a smooth aesthetic appearance.

By way of example and not limitation, an electronic device according tothis application may comprise a portable audio input/output deviceconfigured to receive audio input and to provide audio output. Such aportable audio input/output device may be used in conjunction with anetwork-based speech support service server to implement a speechinterface and to play music or output other audio in response to spokenuser commands. However, the techniques described in this application arenot limited to use with a portable audio input/output device and aregenerally applicable to other electronic devices, such as desktopcomputers, laptop computers, speakers, portable or console gamingdevices, televisions, set-top boxes, media players, cameras, and/orportable electronic devices.

In some examples, a portable audio input/output device may have multiplevisual indicators located on a control surface of the device. The visualindicators may be used to indicate various information to a user, suchas to provide visual feedback regarding a task or operation beingperformed. The visual indicators may, in some examples, be disposed on atop portion or cover of the device. The visual indicators may beilluminated by one or more light sources, such as light emitting diodes(LEDs), located within a housing of the portable audio input/outputdevice, via a light guide. In some examples, a number of light sourcesmay be less than a number of visual indicators. In that case, the lightguide may diffuse the light from the light sources to evenly illuminatethe visual indicators.

In some examples, the visual indicators may comprise one or moreopenings in a cover of the portable audio input/output device. Some orall of the openings in the cover may be aligned with ports in the lightguide, such that light from the light sources illuminates the ports inthe light guide and the openings in the cover. One or more of the portsin the light guide may lead to a microphone disposed within the housingof the portable audio input/output device, while one or more other portsmay comprise false openings that do not lead to the microphone. This maylimit moisture or other objects from reaching the microphone. In someexamples, the microphone may be coupled to and located below a printedcircuit board (PCB) disposed within the device, while the light guideand light sources are coupled to a top surface of the PCB. As describedherein, a PCB may comprise any type of PCB, including but not limited toa single sided PCB, double sided PCB, multi layered PCB, and/or aflexible PCB. One or more layers of audibly permeable hydrophobicmaterial may be disposed in an audio path between an exterior of thedevice and the microphone to provide further protection from moisture.

In some examples, portable audio input/output devices may have a hole inthe housing to receive a stand-alone input/output (I/O) interfacemodule. The interface module may have multiple buttons and multipleinput and/or output ports aligned vertically relative to a housing ofthe device. That is, when the device is positioned on a horizontalsupport surface, the buttons, jacks, and other inputs and outputs arepositioned in substantially a vertical line. In some examples, thebuttons may correspond to a power button for the device, a wirelessconnectivity button, or any other type of button or control. The buttonsor other controls may be mechanical (e.g., having physically movablecomponents) and/or electronic (e.g., capacitive sensors, opticalsensors, or the like). The input and/or output ports may includeuniversal serial bus (USB) ports, audio jacks, video jacks, or any othertype of ports for receiving and/or outputting signals from/to otherdevices. In some examples, the I/O interface module may be constructedas a stand-alone, acoustically-sealed module. Constructing the module asa stand-alone module may simplify assembly and installation of the I/Omodule. By acoustically-sealing the I/O module, audio output and soundquality of the portable audio input/output device may be improved.Additionally or alternatively, unwanted acoustic signals will not beable to enter the housing through the module, which may improve acousticinterpretation of signals received through the port that leads to themicrophone.

In some examples, the portable audio input/output device may have ahousing that is wrapped by a seamless material, such as a seamlessfabric or mesh. The seamless material may be installed by sliding a tubeof the material over a frame of the housing, like a sleeve. In someexamples, the seamless material may have an open top end that wrapsaround a top rim of frame of the housing and an open bottom end thatwraps around a bottom rim of the frame. In some examples, the top end ofthe seamless material may be compressed and held in place by a coverassembly and the bottom end of the seamless material may be compressedand held in place by a charging foot of the portable audio input/outputdevice. By not having a seam, the seamless material may be stronger thanmaterial with seams. Additionally, the seamless material may be moreaesthetically pleasing compared to material with seams.

The charging foot may serve as a base allowing the portable audioinput/output device to sit horizontally on flat surfaces. The chargingfoot may have an inner contact comprising a circle and an outer contactin a ring shape (e.g., hollow middle). The inner contact and outercontact may comprise electrically-conductive material. These contactsmay be fixed in a non-electrically-conductive structure (e.g., plastic)and separated mechanically and electrically by this structure. In someexamples, the inner contact and outer contact may comprise a positiveand negative terminal to charge a battery internal to the device and/orpower circuitry of the device when the portable audio input/outputdevice is placed in a charging station.

The charging foot may be sized to fit into the charging station andstand in an upright position while in the charging station. The chargingstation may have two contacts (e.g., pins) protruding from it and liningup with the inner contact and outer contact such that, regardless of thecharging foot orientation within the charging station, the contacts andpins maintain an electrical connection. In this way, the chargingstation may provide power to the portable audio input/output deviceusing the electrical contact formed by the contacts and the pins.

The portable audio input/output device may have a talk button that theuser presses when speaking a command. While the talk button is pressed,the portable music device captures user audio and provides the useraudio to the speech support service server. The speech support serviceserver performs automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural languageunderstanding (NLU) to determine which audio content the user wants toplay. Upon identifying the audio content, the portable audioinput/output device streams the audio content from a network-basedcontent source and plays the audio content on one or more speakers ofthe portable audio input/output device.

The portable audio input/output device may have a rechargeable batteryso that the device can be used without connection to an external powersource. However, the audio input/output device may also be used with acharging station that provides external electrical power for batteryrecharging and to provide power to the device while the device is in thecharging station.

When the portable audio input/output device is docked and/or receivingexternal power, the device may activate enhanced capabilities. As anexample, the portable audio input/output device may itself may havespeech processing capabilities, such as wakeword detection, ASR, and/orNLU. These features may be active all the time, or only when the deviceis receiving power from an external source. As a specific example, thedevice may use wakeword detection when docked and receiving externalpower, so that the user is not required to press the talk button inorder to direct speech to the device. In that case, the portable audioinput/output device continually monitors sound within its environment,detects a user utterance of a wakeword, and subsequently captures useraudio and provides the user audio to the speech support service serverfor further analysis. When the portable audio input/output device isundocked from the charging station, the portable audio input/outputdevice may only monitor audio input when a user presses a talk button.

As another specific example, the device may activate device-supportedASR features when receiving external power and may respond to certaintypes of user speech without relying on network-based speech supportservices.

In other examples, the user may interact with the device only afterpushing a “push-to-activate” button to activate the ASR services. Inthat case, there may be no always-listening capabilities (whether in thecharging station or not) and the wakeword may only be recognized afterthe user has pushed the “push-to-activate” button.

Example Portable Audio Input/Output Device

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an example portable audio input/output device 102.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable audio input/output device102 taken from above. The portable audio input/output device 102 maycomprise a substantially cylindrical housing 104, a cover assembly 106including a navigation cap 108, and a talk button 110. The talk button110 may also be referred to as a talk actuator or a push-to-talk (PTT)button.

The cover assembly 106 may comprise the navigation cap 108, openings112, and a central opening 114. In some examples, the navigation cap 108may have buttons or other controls, such as volume buttons, play controlbuttons, etc. In various examples, the navigation cap 108 may have oneor more visual indicators for presentation of information to a user ofthe portable audio input/output device 102. In the illustrated example,the visual indicators comprise five openings in the cover, which may beilluminated by one or more light sources within the housing 104. Thevisual indicators may be illuminated statically (e.g., one or morevisual indicators illuminated continuously) or dynamically (e.g., one ormore visual indicators flashing, alternating which visual indicators areilluminated, etc.).

While the openings 112 are illustrated in FIG. 1 as comprising fiveopenings, in other example the number the openings 112 may comprise anynumber of openings. In some examples, one or more of the openings 112may comprise openings allowing for audio to be received by a microphonedisposed within housing 104. In some examples, a microphone may belocated within housing 104 and receive audio input via openings 112. Forexample, a microphone may receive audio via a central opening 114 of theopenings 112 shown in FIG. 5.

The portable audio input/output device 102 may be designed andconfigured to rest on a surface. In addition, the device 102 may bedesigned for handheld use during which a user holds the device 102 andspeaks into the microphone while pressing the talk button 110. Theportable audio input/output device 102 may be configured so that thetalk button 110 is easily accessed by a user's thumb when holding theportable audio input/output device 102 near the user's mouth.

In some examples, the microphone may be selected and/or designed forsensitivity to near-field audio so as to capture user speech when themicrophone is held near the mouth of the user. The microphone generatesan audio signal that contains the user speech.

The portable audio input/output device 102 may be powered by arechargeable internal battery (not visible) for cordless operation. Thedevice 102 may have contacts, charging ports (e.g., a USB port or ACcharging port), or a charging foot that can receive external power bymeans of a charging station or cradle in order to charge the internalbattery and/or to operate from household power mains.

The portable audio input/output device 102 may be configured to captureand respond to user speech. Specifically, the user may verbally requestparticular music to be played by the portable audio input/output device102. The portable audio input/output device 102 responds to the requestby playing the music on speakers. In certain situations, the user mayneed to press the talk button 110 when speaking a request. In othercases, the user may indicate a request by prefacing the request with apredefined keyword, which is also referred to herein as a wakeword ortrigger expression. In some examples, the portable audio input/outputdevice 102 may rely on the talk button 110 to detect spoken userrequests when the portable audio input/output device 102 is operatingfrom battery power and may or may not enable wakeword detection when themusic device 102 is receiving external power. Disabling wakeworddetection when operating on battery power may reduce computationalactivities and power consumption, thereby increasing battery life.

The portable audio input/output device 102 may be supported bynetwork-based services such as speech support services that perform ASRand NLU on audio captured by the microphone and that provideinstructions to the portable audio input/output device 102 in responseto recognized speech. This allows relatively sophisticated audio andspeech processing to be performed despite limited processingcapabilities of the portable audio input/output device 102 itself.

In some cases, however, the portable audio input/output device 102 mayhave at least limited speech recognition capabilities. In variousembodiments, different levels of speech support may be provided by thedevice 102 when receiving external power, such as ASR, NLU, and speechsynthesis. Performing these functions locally avoids delays andlatencies that may otherwise be introduced by interacting withnetwork-based services.

The portable audio input/output device 102 may be configured to operatein multiple playback modes to play audio content such as music and insome cases to also control the playing of audio content by peripheraldevices. In one playback mode, the portable audio input/output device102 acts as a peripheral speaker for a personal media device such as asmartphone, tablet computer, or other device that may be configured toact as a personal media storage device. In this mode, referred to as aperipheral mode, the portable audio input/output device 102 receives anaudio stream over a device-to-device wireless connection such as aBluetooth® connection and passively plays the received audio stream onthe speakers. The audio stream may contain music or other audio contentthat has been selected through a user interface of the personal mediadevice, apart from the speech interface of the portable audioinput/output device 102.

In another playback mode, referred to herein as a voice control mode,the portable audio input/output device 102 implements a speech interfacethrough which the user selects and plays music by speaking commands tothe device 102. In some embodiments, the voice control mode is used onlyduring those times during which the device 102 has broadband Internetconnectivity. During other times, the portable audio input/output device102 operates in the peripheral mode.

When operating in the voice control mode, the user speaks a verbalcommand into the microphone 312 while actuating the talk button 110. Theuser speech is analyzed and interpreted to identify particular music orother audio content that the user wants to play. The identified contentis then obtained and/or played by the device 102.

By default, content identified in this manner is played on the speakers106 of the device 102. However, the device 102 may also be configured toprovide the content to available peripheral devices such as Bluetoothspeakers or other speaker peripherals that are nearby. For example, thedevice 102 may be configured to play music using the sound system of anautomobile during times in which the device 102 is within theautomobile. Similarly, the device 102 may be configured to play musicusing a home audio system during times in which the device 102 is withinthe home. In other examples, the portable audio input/output device 102may be configured to synchronize with another portable audioinput/output device to provide multiple ports of audio (e.g., stereo,surround sound, etc.).

In some embodiments, the portable audio input/output device 102 may beconfigured to actively and automatically determine whether it is nearany peripheral devices and to play audio content using peripheraldevices that are in the proximity of the user and/or of the device 102.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the portable audio input/outputdevice of FIG. 1 taken from below. The portable audio input/outputdevice 102 may include a charging foot 202 located on the bottom of thedevice. In some examples, the charging foot 202 may comprise chargingcontacts, such as an inner contact 204 and an outer contact 206. Thecharging foot inner contact 204 and outer contact 206 may receiveexternal power from a charging station or cradle in order to charge theinternal battery and/or to operate from household power mains (e.g.,wall outlet). A charging station (as shown in FIG. 12) may be used tocharge the internal battery and/or provide power to the portable audioinput/output device 102 using the inner contact 204 and outer contact206. For example, inner contact 204 and outer contact 206 may beelectrically coupled to positive and negative ends of the internalbattery directly or via a battery controller such that the chargingstation may provide, from an external power source, power to charge theinternal battery and/or power the portable audio input/output device102. In some examples, inner contact 204 may comprise a substantiallycircular shape. Similarly, outer contact 206 may comprise a substantialcircular shape, such as a ring.

The portable audio input/output device 102 may further compriseinput/output (I/O) interface module 208 installed in housing 104. I/Ointerface module may include any assortment of buttons or contactsusable to interact with portable audio input/output device 102. Forexample, I/O interface module may include a wireless communicationbutton 210, a universal serial bus (USB) port 212, an input jack 214,and/or a power button 216. Wireless communication button 210 may beselectively engaged to enable various wireless communicationcapabilities (e.g., Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, etc.). In some examples,wireless communication button 210 may engage circuitry of portable audioinput/output device 102 to facilitate various wireless communicationcapabilities. For instance, portable audio input/output device 102 maybe configured for communication with other devices, such as mobilephones, tablets, computers, other portable audio input/output devices,and/or any other computing device capable of wireless communication.

USB port 212 may be configured to receive one or more USB devicescontaining various information. For example, USB port 212 may receive aUSB device that is storing various audio files that may be played onspeakers 106 of portable audio input/output device 102. Additionally,USB port 212 may be used for charging, installing updates, communicatingwith other devices, etc.

Input jack 214 may be configured to receive one or more inputmechanisms, such as a phone jack, audio jack, or jack plug. In variousexamples, input jack 214 may communicate via the input mechanisms toreceive information in the form of analog and/or digital signals. Insome examples, input jack 214 may be a jack having various industrystandard measurements (e.g., 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm, etc.) in order to receivevarious input.

Power button 216 may be selectively engaged to power on or power offportable audio input/output device 102. Additionally or alternatively,power button 216 may be selectively engaged to change a mode of portableaudio input/output device 102, such as engaging a “sleep mode” wherevarious functionalities of portable audio input/output device 102 aredisabled and/or enabled.

FIG. 3A illustrates a partial exploded view of the portable audioinput/output device of FIG. 1. In some examples, cover assembly 106 maycomprise one or more screws or other fasteners 302 that attach thenavigation cap 108, a navigation housing 304, and a printed circuitboard (PCB) navigation component 306. In some examples, navigationhousing 304 and PCB navigation component 306 may receive various inputsreceived via the navigation cap 108 (e.g., inputs from input interface)and map the input to various hardware and/or software components ofportable audio input/output device 102. Additionally, one or more screwsor other fasteners 302 may facilitate attachment of cover assembly 106to housing 104 and/or enclosure assembly 310. In other instances,navigation cap 108, navigation housing 304 and PCB navigation component306 may be attached by other fastening means, such as screw in, snap in,pressure fit, etc.

In some examples, housing 104 may comprise a substantially cylindricalframe 308 which is sized to encircle an assembly enclosure 310. Assemblyenclosure 310 may further comprise a microphone 312 for receivingacoustic signals, such as through openings 112.

In some examples, assembly enclosure 310 may have a bumper 314 coupledto its bottom end. Bumper 314 may be attached to the bottom end ofassembly enclosure 310 to provide shock absorption and/or to provide fora softer edge. In some examples, bumper 314 may comprise shock absorbentmaterial, such as rubber, or any other type of material for absorbingshock. Additionally, bumper 314 may have rounded or smoothed edges thatcover the bottom end of assembly enclosure 310 and/or substantiallycylindrical frame 308. The rubber bumper 314 may prevent the seamlesstube 324 from being cut or damaged by sharp edges of the assemblyenclosure 310 and/or substantially cylindrical frame 308.

In some examples, charging foot 202 may be attached to enclosureassembly 310 by one or more means, such as adhesive tape 316 (e.g.,single-sided or double-sided adhesive tape), glue, screws, snap fit,press fit, threads, and/or other fasteners. Charging foot 202 maycomprise a charging module 318 and a bottom cap 320. In some examples,bottom cap 320 may be attached to the bottom of charging foot chargingmodule 318 to protect the components of charging foot 202 and surfaceson which the portable audio input/output device 102 is placed andprovide aesthetic appeal, while keeping exposed the inner contact 204and an outer contact 206.

Frame 308 may have a hole 322 sized to receive a component, such as talkbutton 110. Similarly, assembly enclosure 310 may have a correspondinghole to receive and couple the talk button 110 in.

FIG. 3B illustrates a schematic view showing installation of theseamless tube of material on a cylindrical frame of a portable audioinput/output device shown in FIG. 1. In some examples, the seamless tube324 may comprise knitted fabric or a mesh of metal.

In some examples, a seamless tube 324 may be fitted over the frame 308.The seamless tube 324 may comprise fabric, metal, or any other type ofmaterial that can form a mesh, and does not have a seam in the material.In some examples, the seamless tube 324 may be pulled on over frame 308,like a tube, and encircles frame 308. Seamless tube 324 may be attachedto frame 308 using glue, adhesive, or any other type of fasteningmechanism. Further description regarding assembly and installation ofthe seamless tube will be discussed with reference to FIG. 9.

Example Light Guide Ports

FIGS. 4-6 illustrate views of example ports and an example light guide(e.g., light diffuser) to illuminate the ports, such as openings 112 ofportable audio/input device 102.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a cover of the example portableaudio input/output device of FIG. 1, showing openings in a coverassembly of the portable audio input/output device. In some examples,the openings 112 may be arranged in a substantially horizontalarrangement in navigation cap 108. In some examples, a microphone, suchas microphone 312 may be disposed within housing 104 and navigation cap108 to receive acoustic signals via openings 112. For example,microphone 312 may be disposed within housing 104 and under centralopening 114 of the openings 112, as shown in FIG. 4. However, in otherexamples, microphone 312 may be disposed under any of the openings 112to receive acoustic signals.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cutaway perspective view of the example portableaudio/input device of FIG. 1, with a cover removed to show ports passingthrough a light guide of the portable audio/input device. In someexamples, the openings may comprise circular holes in a surface portionof the navigation cap 108 of portable audio/input device 102.Additionally, the surface portion may have one or more layers ofmaterial (e.g., fabric) disposed on top of it to prevent objects fromentering into the openings 112. For example, a mesh fabric may bedisposed over the surface portion to prevent liquids, or other objects,from entering into the openings 112.

As noted above, the openings 112 may comprise ports 502 that passthrough the navigation cap 108. Additionally, at least one of theopenings 112 may further comprise a microphone hole 504. In variousexamples, microphone hole 504 may comprise one or more holes in aprinted circuit board (PCB) 506 disposed within the housing 104 ofportable audio/input device 102. Microphone hole 504 may allow acousticsignals to pass from the exterior of housing 104 to microphone 312. Inthe example of FIG. 5, microphone 312 is disposed on an under portion ofPCB 506, while in other examples, microphone 312 may be disposed on atop portion of PCB 506. In some examples, microphone hole 504 may bealigned with a port from ports 502. The port may in turn be aligned withcentral opening 114. In some examples, the ports 502, excluding the portaligned with microphone hole 504, may comprise false ports that areacoustically insulated from the microphone 312. For instance, theremaining ports 502 may not have a corresponding hole that passesthrough the PCB 506.

One or more locating pins 508 may protrude from, or be attached to, PCB506. In various examples, the one or more locating pins 508 may be usedto correctly position the navigation cap 108 into the appropriate placefor installation in enclosure assembly 310. For example, enclosureassembly 310 may include corresponding holes to receive the one or morelocating pins 508 for correct placement and installation in portableaudio/input device 102. Further, in some examples, a foam adhesive 510may be used to attach PCB 506 to navigation cap 108. However, it isunderstood that other fastening mechanisms may be employed in differentexamples, such as tape, glue, screws, etc. In some examples, ports 502may further pass through foam adhesive 510. For example, ports 502 mayfurther extend through foam adhesive 502 and end when they reach PCB506. Thus, in these examples, a portion of PCB 506 may be observed whenlooking down through openings 112 through ports 502. In examples whereports 502 do not extend through PCB 506, they may be referred to asfalse ports. However, in other examples, one or more of ports 502 mayhave holes which extend through PCB 506, similar to microphone hole 504,and allow acoustic signals to pass through PCB 506. In various examples,one or more of the ports 502 that have holes which extend through PCB506 may have their own individual microphones for receiving acousticsignals. Accordingly, multiple microphones may be employed, one for eachof ports 502 that have holes which extend through PCB 506. Havingmultiple microphones may, for example, allow for far-field acousticsignal detection.

FIG. 6 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a top portion ofthe example portable audio/input device of FIG. 1, showing details ofthe cover assembly and light guide. The microphone hole 504, which maybe aligned with central opening 114, may pass through PCB 506. In someexamples, one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) 604 may emit lighttowards the light guide 602. Light guide 602 may comprise any type oflight diffuser and have a circumference corresponding to the openings112 and form ports 502 from the openings 112 to PCB 506 and/ormicrophone 312. LEDs 604 may be disposed on top of a portion of PCB 506.The light emitted from LEDs 604 may be emitted towards light guide 602may bounce around, or reflect, within the light guide 602 and emit atvarious angles from light guide 602 out of the openings 112. In someinstances, light guide may comprise a milky material, such aspolycarbonate, that causes the light to disperse at various angles, asillustrated in FIG. 6 by the dashed lines and arrows. The polycarbonatemay, in some examples, have dye or other material within to reflectlight at various angles that enters the light guide. Moreover, lightguide 602 may comprise a shape with at least various surfaces at variousangles to further reflect light. For instance, light guide 602 may havea cross section comprising a first surface adjacent to ports 502, asecond surface adjacent to the LEDs 604, and a third surface adjacent tomicrophone 312. By employing light guide 602, which is disposed belowthe openings 112, the openings 112 may be illuminated with asubstantially uniform dispersion of light. The various angles at whichthe light guide 602 is disposed below the openings 112 and above the PCB506 may further aid in evenly dispersing the light from the light guide602 by causing the light to bounce around the light guide 602 at aplurality of different angles. Additionally, by using light guide 602,the amount of LEDs 604 may be decreased. For example, in the absence ofa light guide, each port 502 of the openings 112 may require their own,individual LED to obtain a substantially equal light distributionthrough the openings 112. However, using light guide 602 to disperse theemitted light evenly, less LEDs may be used to evenly illuminate theopenings 112. For example, using light guide 602, the openings 112 maycomprise five total ports 502, whereas the LEDs 604 may only comprisethree LEDs.

Microphone 312 may be disposed under the PCB 506, as shown in FIG. 5. Invarious examples, the microphone hole 504 may provide a hole in the PCB506 to enable acoustic signals to be received via the openings 112 andthrough light guide 602 via ports 502.

In some examples, one or more components of portable audio/input device102 may be employed to prevent light leakage. For example, navigationhousing 304 may prevent light from leaking from the back of light guide602. Thus, rather than the light leaving light guide 602 and bouncingaround the inside of housing 104, navigation housing 304 may be disposedalong the back portion of light guide 602 to bounce the light back intolight guide 602. Similarly, extended lip 606 may be disposed along thefront of light guide 602 to prevent light from leaking out of the frontof the guide. In some examples, extended lip 606 may be part coverassembly 106 (as illustrated in FIG. 3). Additionally, in some examples,a foam piece 608 may be disposed between navigation housing 304 and PCB506 to prevent leakage of light from the back of light guide 602. Ininstances where navigation housing 304 is not flush with PCB 506, foampiece 608 may be inserted to fill any space between navigation housing304 and PCB 506 to prevent light leakage.

In some examples, various components may be employed to acousticallyseal the microphone hole 504 and/or openings 112. For example, sealingfoam 610 may be positioned between navigation cap 108, extended lip 606,and/or light guide 602. The sealing foam 610 may be disposed around thecircumference of the openings 112 to prevent acoustic signals fromescaping from the openings 112 and microphone 312. Thus, by using thesealing foam 610 to seal the port between the openings 112, light guide602, and microphone 312, acoustically sealed ports 502 may be formedfrom the entrance of the openings 112 to the microphone 312. This mayresult in improved quality of acoustic signal received at the microphone312.

In some examples, an acoustic mesh is disposed in various locations ofthe port from openings 112 and microphone 312. For example, acousticmesh 612 may be disposed between navigation cap 108 and sealing foam 610or light guide 602. Similarly, acoustic mesh 614 may also, in someexamples, be placed between light guide 602 and PCB 506. The mesh maycover ports 502 formed by the openings 112 and light guide 602, but thematerial forming the acoustic mesh may allow light and acoustic signalsto pass through without substantially attenuating the signals. However,acoustic mesh 612 and 614 may prevent objects and liquids from passingthrough the ports formed by light guide 602 and the openings 112 bycovering the area formed by ports 502. For example, acoustic mesh 614may comprise fabric, metal, or any other material usable to form a meshand present objects and liquids from passing through to the light guide602 and/or microphone 312. In some examples, sealing foam 610 may bepositioned above acoustic mesh 612 (as shown), while in other examples,sealing foam 610 may be positioned below acoustic mesh 612 and/or 614.In some examples, one, both, or neither of acoustic mesh 612 and 614 maybe used.

Example Input/Output Interface Module

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a perspective and exploded views of an exampleinput/output interface module installable in portable audio/input deviceof FIG. 1. FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an I/O interfacemodule 208 that may comprise buttons 702 and one or more input/output(I/O) ports 704. The one or more I/O ports 704 may receive input,provide output, or both. In some examples, the buttons 702 may beconfigured to have caps or contacts placed over them indicating afunction associated with the buttons 702. For example, the buttons 702may be associated with power button 216 and/or wireless communicationbutton 210. Similarly, the one or more I/O ports 704 may be associatedwith USB port 212 and/or input jack 214, as described in FIG. 2.

The I/O interface module 208 may additionally have a connecting part 706that may be removeably coupled to a portion of the portable audio/inputdevice 102. For example, connecting part 706 may be fastened to PCB 506using one or more fastening mechanisms, such as screws, glue, adhesivetape, etc. In some examples, connecting part 706 may be used to connectthe I/O interface module 208 to a location within housing 104, such as aprinted circuit board, when installing I/O interface module 208 inportable audio input/output device 102.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the I/O interface module 208 may comprise aseparate module that may be assembled separately from portableaudio/input device 102, and subsequently installed into the device 102.By assembling I/O interface module 208 separate from the portableaudio/input device 102, this may decrease difficulties in assembly, suchas additional time and labor that would be required to install variouscomponents of the I/O interface module 208 within housing 104.Additionally, in some examples, the I/O interface module 208 may beacoustically sealed to prevent acoustic signals from interfering withthose being received via other portions of the portable audio/inputdevice, such as microphone 312. For example, various sounds may beassociated with click of the buttons 702 and or inputting componentsinto the one or more I/O ports 704. Additionally, by acousticallysealing I/O interface module 208, sounds that are occurring in theenvironment exterior to housing 104 may be kept from entering housing104. In some examples, this may improve the reliability of the acousticsignal being received by microphone 312 by ensuring that acousticsignals are only received via the openings 112. By ensuring thatmicrophone 312 is not catching stray or unwanted acoustic signals fromvarious locations other than the openings 112, acoustic interpretationof the received signals may more accurately identify commands and inputfrom users.

FIG. 8 illustrates a partial exploded view of the example input/outputinterface module of FIG. 7. I/O interface module 208 may have astructure formed in part by a top housing 802 and a bottom housing 804.Top housing 802 and bottom housing 804 are formed to fit together andform a housing for components of the I/O interface module 208. Tophousing 802 and bottom housing 804 may comprise any material forproviding support to components stored or placed within, such as plasticand/or metal. Bottom housing may have one or more through pins 806 thatare used to align and hold in place various components of the I/Ointerface module 208. Further, top housing 802 may have correspondingthrough holes 808 that may accept, or receive, the through pins 806 whenthe I/O interface module 208 is assembled. In some examples, the throughpins 806 may be attached within through holes 808 using various meanssuch as pressure fit, nut and bolt, thermoplastic staking (e.g., heatstaking), or any other fastening means.

In some examples, bottom housing 804 may further have foam tape 810attached to its top surface. Foam tape 810 may be any type of doublesided adhesive, and in some examples may couple bottom housing 822 tobottom seal 812. Additionally or alternatively, bottom seal 812 may haveone or more holes to accept through pins 806 when assembling I/Ointerface module 208. Similarly, top housing 802 may also have foam tapeor adhesive on a bottom portion (not shown) to fasten a top seal 814 inplace. Additionally or alternatively, the through pins 806 may passthrough holes on top seal 814 to align and hold top seal 814 within thetop housing 802 and bottom housing 804.

In some examples, bottom seal 812 and top seal 822 may provide anacoustic seal for I/O interface module 208. For instance, by positioningbottom seal 812 on the top portion of bottom housing 804, and top seal814 on the under portion of top housing 802, the interior components ofI/O interface module 208 and portable audio input/output device 102 maybe acoustically sealed from any acoustic signals attempting to passthrough the module 208 from exterior the housing 104. Top seal 814 andbottom seal 812 may comprise any material or combination of materials,such as rubber, plastic, foam, metal, etc. that can be used toacoustically seal I/O interface module 208.

Disposed between top seal 814 and bottom seal 812 is a printed circuitboard PCB 816. Generally, PCB 816 may comprise any type of printedcircuit board that mechanically supports and electrically connects oneor more components of I/O interface module 208. For instance, PCB 816may connect electronic components using conductive paths etched from aconductive substrate (e.g., copper) that has been laminated, or printed,onto a non-conductive substrate, such as plastic. In some examples, thePCB 816 may comprise a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

Various components may be attached to PCB 816, such as buttons 702(e.g., power button 216 and/or wireless communication button 210), USBport 212, and input jack 214.

Traditionally, electrical and mechanical components have been surfacemounted to circuit boards (e.g., through-hole components), or mounted inin parallel with the circuit boards in order to provide structuralsupport for the components. However, in some examples such as theexample shown in FIG. 8, the buttons 702 and the one or more I/O ports704 may be mounted to PCB 816 and extend in a direction parallel to theplane of PCB 816.

In some examples, the input jack 214 may be mounted to a bottom side ofthe PCB 816. The input jack 214 may be directly mounted, such as bythrough-hole attachment mechanisms, glue, thermoplastic staking, or anyother type of attachment mechanism. In some examples, because the inputjack 214 is mounted directly onto the bottom side of the PCB 816 andextends a set distance vertically from the bottom side, it may serve asa base line for orienting the remaining components. Stated otherwise,the input jack 214 may be a base location vertically from the PCB 816that the other components (e.g., buttons 702 and USB port 212) may bealigned with the input jack 214 along a horizontal plane, centered withinput jack 214. In examples such as this, the buttons 702 and the USBport 212 may have mechanisms that allow selective vertical and/orhorizontal orientation of the components relative to the bottom side ofthe PCB 816.

For example, the buttons 702 and/or USB port 212 may comprise tabs 820that attach the buttons 702 and USB port 212 to extend in a directionparallel to the plane of the PCB 816. The tabs 820 may be made of anytype of material which is foldable or able to be manipulated tofacilitate selective placement vertically of the buttons 702 and/or USBport 212 relative to the PCB 816. As illustrated, the tabs 820 mayadditionally serve as an attachment mechanism to attach the buttons 702and/or USB port 212 to the PCB 816.

Additionally or alternatively, the USB port 212 may comprise a mechanismto facilitate selective placement of the USB port 212 relative to thePCB 816 vertically, as well as horizontally with the buttons 702 andinput jack 214. For example, the USB port 212 may have a bracket 818fixed to it which allows the USB port 212 to be structurally coupled tothe PCB 816 at a substantially 90 degree angle. For instance, thebracket 818 may be attached in parallel to PCB 816 with a first end,bend at a substantially 90 degree angle, and have a component attachedto a second end of the bracket 818. In some examples, the bracket 818may be welded to USB port 212, or attached using any other type ofprocess. Thus, USB port 212 may be aligned by at least one of tabs 820,bracket 818, or partly by both. Additionally, the bracket 818 may beattached to the PCB 816 in parallel using various attachment mechanisms,such as through pins (e.g., holes for through pins 806), thermoplasticstaking, gluing, or any other attachment mechanism and any a combinationthereof. While FIG. 8 illustrates USB port 212 as being coupled to theend of bracket 818 opposite the PCB 816, in other examples, any type ofelectrical or mechanical component may be coupled to bracket 818.

As noted above, the input jack 214 may serve as a baseline distancevertically from the PCB 816 by which the buttons 702 and USB port 212may extend in a direction parallel to the plane of PCB 816 and alignhorizontally with input jack 214. In examples such as this, the tabs 820and bracket 818 may be manipulated to extend the buttons 702 and USBport 212 to various distances in a direction parallel from a plane ofthe PCB 816. For example, the tabs 820 and bracket 818 may be foldableto extend the buttons 702 and USB port 212 to be substantiallyhorizontal to input jack 214, thereby creating a horizontal alignment ofthe buttons 702, USB port 212, and input jack 214. The horizontalalignment may place the buttons 702 and USB port 212 centered with eachother relative to the center of input jack 214.

Further, the tabs 820 and bracket 818 may provide structural support forthe buttons 702 and USB port 212. For example, when a USB input isinserted, or withdrawn, from USB port 212, there may be jerking,pushing, or pulling on USB port 212. Similarly, when a user pushes thebuttons 702, there may be pressure on the buttons to be pushed back.Accordingly, in some examples the tabs 820 and bracket 818 may beattached to PCB 816 in order to hold the buttons 702 and USB port 212 inplace during use or actuation.

In some examples, I/O interface module 208 may have a radial seal 822which attaches to the front of I/O interface module 208. For example,when the top housing 802 and bottom housing 804 are fitted together tohold the various intermediary components (e.g., bottom seal 812, topseal 814, PCB 816, etc.), the radial seal 822 may be fitted onto a frontportion (e.g., perimeter) of a surface formed by the top housing 802 andthe bottom housing 804. In some examples, the radial seal 822 isattached to the front portion of the top housing 802 and bottom housing804 using one or more attachment mechanisms, such as press fit, tape,glue, any other attachment mechanism, or a combination thereof.

The radial seal 822 may be fitted to the front of I/O interface module208 to acoustically seal the module. For example, when I/O interfacemodule 208 is place in housing 104, as shown in FIG. 2, the radial seal822 may be fitted to the front portion of the I/O interface module 208to be substantially flush with frame 308. Once the radial seal 822 isattached to the I/O interface module 208, it may serve as an acousticseal to prevent acoustic signals from entering the housing 104 throughthe I/O interface module 208.

In some examples, the radial seal 822, bottom seal 812, and top seal 814may acoustically seal the I/O interface module 208 from acoustic signalsexterior from housing 104. For example, when I/O interface module 208has been assembled and inserted into the portable audio input/outputdevice 102, the bottom seal 812, top seal 814, and radial seal 822 mayprevent acoustic signals exterior to housing 104 from entering from thetop, bottom, or front of I/O interface module 208. This may in turn keepacoustic signals from reaching the microphone 312 from paths other thanpaths designed to pass acoustic signals to microphone 312, such asopenings 112. This may help improve acoustic interpretation bymicrophone 312 by reducing unwanted signals (e.g., noise) from enteringhousing 104.

Thus, as described herein, I/O interface module 208 may comprise aseparate, stand-alone module that is acoustically sealed, and can beinstalled as an individual module into portable audio input/outputdevice 102.

Seamless Fabric Assembly

FIG. 9 illustrates a partial cross sectional view of an example seamlesstube material encircling an exterior housing of the portable audio/inputdevice of FIG. 1.

In some examples, a fabric assembly 900 may comprise seamless tube 324enclosing frame 308. As described in FIG. 3, seamless tube 324 may beattached in some examples to frame 308 using glue, adhesive tape, or anyother attachment mechanism. In various examples, seamless tube 324 mayhave a top end and a bottom end (not shown) comprising more materialthan necessary to envelope, or encircle, the frame 308. In instancessuch as this, the top end of the seamless tube 324 may be folded over(e.g., wrapped, tucked, etc.) frame 308 and compressed between frame 308and navigation cap 108 in order to pin the top end 902 against frame 308to hold the top end in place, as illustrated by the sphere 902. In someexamples, an adhesive may be positioned between the top end of theseamless tube 324 and the interior wall of frame 308. By foldingseamless tube 324 over frame 308 and holding the top end 902 of thematerial in place using the navigation cap 108, the top end 902 of theseamless tube 324 may be hidden from view externally.

FIG. 10 illustrates a partial exploded view of the example portableaudio input/output device of FIG. 1, showing additional details ofinstallation of the seamless tube of material. In examples whereseamless tube 324 may have a bottom end that is longer than the frame308, the seamless tube 324 may be folded over a bottom end of frame 308.In various examples, bumper 314 may be coupled to the bottom end ofassembly enclosure 310 to prevent ripping, tearing, or cutting ofseamless tube 324 on the bottom end of assembly enclosure 310 and/orsubstantially cylindrical frame 308. In some examples, adhesive tape 316may be a double sided adhesive tape and be attached to the bottom ofenclosure assembly 310. When the seamless tube 324 is folded over thebottom of frame 308, it may be pressed onto the adhesive tape 316 to befixed in place. Further, charging foot 202 may be placed over theseamless tube 324 to further pin the material in place between thecharging foot 202 and the enclosure assembly 310. In this way, thebottom end of seamless tube 324 is not visible from the exterior of theportable audio input/output device 102. Additionally, in some examplesbottom cap 312 may be fitted onto charging foot 202 for cosmetic appealand to protect components of charging foot 202.

In some examples, seamless tube 324 may have a hole 1002 correspondingto hole 322 in frame 308. In some instances, a portion of the seamlesstube 324 (e.g., a portion of the circumference of the hole in thematerial) may be folded into hole 322 and fixed to the interior of thehousing 104. In some instances, the portion of the seamless tube 324 maybe fixed to the interior of the housing using glue, double-sidedadhesive, or any other attachment mechanism. Once the seamless materialis fixed to the interior of frame 308, a component, such as talk button110, may be installed in the hole 1002 of the seamless tube 322 and hole322 in frame 308.

Charging Foot Assembly

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a charging foot assembly comprising acharging foot, such as charging foot 202, and a charging station(illustrated in FIG. 12).

FIG. 11 illustrates a partial cross sectional view of an examplecharging foot of the example portable audio/input device of FIG. 1. Asdescribed in FIG. 2, the charging foot 202 may comprise chargingcontacts, such as inner contact 204 and outer contact 206. Inner contact204 and outer contact 206 may be comprised of any type of metal or metalalloy that is electrically conductive, such as copper, aluminum, gold,silver, or any other material for conducting electricity. In someexamples, inner contact 204 and outer contact 206 may be part of acharging foot 202. Charging foot 202 may have a base structure 1102 thatcomprises plastic, or any other non-conductive material, that is formedaround inner contact 204 and outer contact 206 to provide structuralsupport. In some examples, charging foot 202 may be formed by molding,or by pouring melted material around inner contact 204 and outer contact206 for base structure 1102 which encloses the contacts and providesstructural support. In some examples, inner contact 204 and outercontact 206 may have notches 1104 that are filled with the material ofcharging foot 202 to provide additional structural support by fixinginner contact 204 and outer contact 206 within the charging foot 202material to prevent movement of the inner contact 204 and outer contact206, such as sliding or rotating. In some examples, charging foot 202may be constructed as a standalone unit and formed independent ofportable audio input/output device 102. Once charging foot 202 isformed, it may be attached to the bottom of portable audio input/outputdevice 102.

In some examples, charging connectors 1106 may be disposed withinhousing 104 and be mechanically and/or electrically attached to PCB 506such that, when charging foot 202 is attached to the bottom portion ofportable audio input/output device 102, the charging contacts 1106 maytouch inner contact 204 and outer contact 206 to create an electricalconnection. Once the charging contacts 1106 touch inner contact 204 andouter contact 206, an electrical connection may be made between PCB 506and inner contact 204 and outer contact 206 that can power a battery ofportable audio input/output device 102 and/or PCB 506. In variousexamples, charging contacts 1106 may be any type of connector orcontact, such as a spring contact.

FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic view of the example portable audio/inputdevice being placed in a charging station. In some examples, the bottomof portable audio input/output device 102 may include charging foot 202,which includes inner contact 204 and outer contact 206.

Charging foot 202 may be sized to fit into a charging station, such ascharging station 1200. Charging station 1200 may be designed to rest ona horizontal surface such as a table or desktop and to receive thecharging foot 202. The portable audio input/output device 102 may beplaced within (or on) and supported by the charging station 1200. Thecharging station 1200 is connected to an external power source such as apower mains or a direct-current (DC) adapter that is connected to thepower mains. For example, a DC adapter may connect to a 110 voltalternating current (AC) power mains and may produce DC power in therange of 5 to 20 volts. An adapter such as this may be referred to as anAC-DC adapter. The DC power is provided through the power cable to thecharging station. The charging station is configured to provide theexternal DC power to the portable audio input/output device 102 throughthe charging foot 202 of the device 102. Charging station 1200 may havea circumference configured to receive the charging foot 202 such thatthe portable audio input/output device 102 may be placed within thecharging station 1200 to enable charging of the device while the deviceis standing in an upright position.

In some examples, charging station 1200 may comprise an inner pin 1202and an outer pin 1204. Inner pin 1202 and an outer pin 1204 maypositioned within the charging station 1200 such that, when chargingfoot 202 is placed on the charging station 1200, inner contact 204 andouter contact 206 make electrical contact with inner pin 1202 and outerpin 1204, respectively. As described above, inner contact 204 maycomprise a circle and outer contact 206 may comprise a donut shape.Using this configuration, the placement of inner pin 1202 and outer pun1204 may make electrical conduct with the inner contact 204 and outercontact 206 regardless of the orientation at which portable audioinput/output device 102 is placed within charging station 1200. Forexample, once the charging foot 202 of portable audio input/audio device102 is placed within charging station 1200, the device 102 may be spunor oriented in any direction within the charging station 1200 andmaintain electrical contact with inner pin 1202 and outer pin 104.

Navigation Component Assembly

FIG. 13A illustrates a partial exploded view of the example portableaudio input/output device, showing the installation of a printed circuitboard navigation component onto the top of an assembly enclosure.

In some examples, PCB navigation component 306 may be coupled to a topof enclosure assembly 310. In various instances, a cable 1302 may beelectronically connected to electrical components interior to enclosureassembly 310. Cable 1302 may then be fed through a hole 1304 in PCBnavigation component 306. In various examples, cable 1302 may be anytype of communication cable, such as a flex ribbon jumper cable. PCBnavigation component 306 may have multiple holes 1306 which align withmultiple through-pins 1308 of enclosure assembly 310. In some examples,cable 1302 may be fed through hole 1304 and coupled to connector 1310.Connector 1310 may comprise any type of conductive material and mayelectrically couple PCB navigation component 306 to electronics storedwithin enclosure assembly 310 via cable 1302.

While the examples illustrates in FIG. 13A shows cable 1302 coupling toa top surface of PCB navigation component 306, in other examples, cable1302 may couple a bottom surface of PCB navigation component 306. Insome examples, by coupling cable 1302 to the top of PCB navigationcomponent 306, the installation of PCB navigation component 306 to thetop of enclosure assembly 310 may be completed with less difficulty thancoupling cable 1302 to the bottom of PCB navigation component 306. Forexample, by attaching cable 1302 to connector 1310 when PCB navigationcomponent 306 is placed on top of enclosure assembly 310, installationmay be less difficult than attaching cable 1302 to the bottom of PCBnavigation component 306

FIG. 13B illustrates a perspective view showing the completedinstallation of a printed circuit board navigation component onto anassembly enclosure. In some examples, the multiple holes 1306 of PCBnavigation component 306 may be aligned with the multiple through-pinsof enclosure assembly 310. Further, cable 1302 may be fed through hole1304 and be mechanically and/or electrically coupled to connector 1310.In some examples, cable 1302 may communicate inputs received through PCBnavigation component 306.

Example Methods

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example method of assembling astand-alone acoustically-sealed I/O interface module.

At 1402, method 1400 comprises bending a first tab and a second tab of aflexible printed circuit board (PCB) to an angle substantially parallelto a plane defined by a body of the PCB.

At 1404, the method comprises attaching a first I/O port and a secondI/O port to the body of the PCB, such that the first I/O port and thesecond I/O port are oriented in a direction parallel to the plane of thePCB. In some examples, attaching the first I/O port to the body of thePCB comprises coupling the first I/O port directly to a body of the PCB.Attaching the second I/O port to the body of the PCB may comprisecoupling a first planar face of a bracket in parallel with the PCB, andcoupling a second planar face of the bracket to the second I/O port, thesecond planar face of the bracket being substantially at right anglerelative to the first planar face of the bracket.

At 1406, the method comprises coupling a first button to the first tabof the PCB and coupling a second button to the second tab of the PCB,such that the first button and the second button are actuatable in adirection parallel to the plane defined by the body of the PCB.

At 1408, the method comprises coupling a bottom acoustic seal and abottom housing to the bottom surface of the PCB such that the bottomacoustic seal is disposed between the bottom housing and the bottomsurface of the PCB, the bottom housing having cavities sized to housethe first button, second button, first I/O port, and second I/O port. Insome examples, coupling the bottom acoustic seal and the bottom housingto the bottom surface of the PCB comprises inserting through-pins of thebottom housing through holes in the bottom acoustic seal and throughholes in the body of the PCB.

At 1410, the method comprises coupling a top acoustic seal and a tophousing to a top surface of the PCB such that the top acoustic seal isdisposed between the top housing and the PCB, the top housing and bottomhousing forming an I/O module housing having a perimeter. In someexamples, coupling the top acoustic seal and the top housing to the topsurface of the PCB comprises inserting the through-pins of the bottomhousing through holes in the top acoustic seal and the top housing.

At 1412, the method comprises coupling an acoustic radial seal to aperimeter of the I/O module housing.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example method of installing aseamless material on the example portable audio/input device of FIG. 1.

At 1502, the method 1500 comprises sliding a seamless tube of materialover a substantially cylindrical frame. In some examples, the seamlesstube of material may extend beyond a first rim of the substantiallycylindrical frame and/or a second rim of the substantially cylindricalframe. The seamless tube of material may have a hole in it that, oncethe seamless tube is over the substantially cylindrical frame, lines upwith a hole in the substantially cylindrical frame. The process may wrapa portion of the seamless tube of material into the hole of thesubstantially cylindrical frame and fix the portion to adhesive disposedon the interior of the substantially cylindrical frame. Further, theprocess may install a module into the hole of the substantiallycylindrical frame and the hole in the seamless tube of material.

At 1504, the method comprises wrapping a first open end of the seamlesstube of material around the first rim of the substantially cylindricalframe.

At 1506, the method comprises sliding the substantially cylindricalframe over the assembly disclosure.

At 1508, the method comprises wrapping a second open end of the seamlesstube of material around a second rim of the substantially cylindricalframe. The first rim and the second rim may be disposed at opposite endsof the substantially cylindrical frame, such as a bottom and a top end.In various examples, a double sided adhesive may be disposed to thebottom of an assembly disclosure, and at 1406, the second open end ofthe seamless tube may be pressed against the adhesive and to the bottomof the assembly disclosure.

At 1510, the method comprises attaching the cover assembly to a top ofthe enclosure assembly to compress the first open end of the seamlesstube of material between the cover assembly and the first rim of thesubstantially cylindrical frame.

At 1512, the method comprises attaching a charging foot to a bottom ofthe enclosure assembly to compress the second open end of the seamlesstube of material between the charging foot and the bottom of theenclosure assembly.

CONCLUSION

While various examples and embodiments are described individuallyherein, the examples and embodiments may be combined, rearranged andmodified to arrive at other variations within the scope of thisdisclosure.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather,the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms ofimplementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising: a housing havingan opening extending therethrough; a cover coupled to the housing andcovering at least a portion of the opening, the cover including a touchinput mechanism; a light source disposed within the housing; and a lightguide disposed above the light source and conveying light from the lightsource through the cover.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, furthercomprising a mesh fabric covering at least a portion of an exterior ofthe housing.
 3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising amesh fabric covering at least a portion of an exterior of the housing,the mesh fabric being wrapped over a rim around the opening such that aportion of the mesh fabric is positioned between the rim and the cover.4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: a printedcircuit board (PCB), disposed below the light guide, and having a topsurface facing the light guide, wherein the light source is coupled tothe top surface of the PCB.
 5. The electronic device of claim 1, furthercomprising: a microphone disposed within the housing; and a speakerdisposed within the housing.
 6. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the opening is a first opening, further comprising: a meshfabric covering at least a portion of an exterior of the housing; abottom cover coupled to the housing and covering a second opening in thehousing, wherein the mesh fabric is wrapped over a rim around the secondopening such that a portion of the mesh fabric is positioned between therim and the bottom cover.
 7. The electronic device of claim 1, furthercomprising: a printed circuit board (PCB) having a top surface facingthe light guide and a bottom surface, wherein the light source iscoupled to the top surface; and a speaker coupled to the bottom surface.8. An electronic device comprising: a housing having an openingextending therethrough; a cover coupled to the housing and covering atleast a portion of the opening, the cover including a touch inputmechanism; a light source disposed within the housing; a light guidedisposed above the light source and conveying light from the lightsource through the cover; and a mesh fabric covering at least a portionof an exterior of the housing, the mesh fabric being wrapped over a rimaround the opening such that a portion of the mesh fabric is positionedbetween the rim and the cover.
 9. The electronic device of claim 8,further comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB), disposed below thelight guide, and having a top surface facing the light guide, whereinthe light source is coupled to the top surface of the PCB.
 10. Theelectronic device of claim 8, further comprising: a microphone disposedwithin the housing; and a speaker disposed within the housing.
 11. Theelectronic device of claim 8, wherein the opening is a first opening,and the rim is a first rim, further comprising: a bottom cover coupledto the housing and covering a second opening in the housing, wherein themesh fabric is wrapped over a second rim around the second opening suchthat a portion of the mesh fabric is positioned between the second rimand the bottom cover.
 12. The electronic device of claim 8, furthercomprising: a printed circuit board (PCB) having a top surface facingthe cover and a bottom surface, wherein the light source is coupled tothe top surface; and a speaker coupled to the bottom surface.
 13. Anaudio input/output device comprising: a housing having an openingextending therethrough; a cover coupled to the housing and covering atleast a portion of the opening, the cover including a touch inputmechanism; a light source disposed within the housing; and a light guidedisposed above the light source and conveying light from the lightsource through the cover.
 14. The audio input/output device of claim 13,further comprising a mesh fabric covering at least a portion of anexterior of the housing.
 15. The audio input/output device of claim 13,further comprising a mesh fabric covering at least a portion of anexterior of the housing, the mesh fabric being wrapped over a rim aroundthe opening such that a portion of the mesh fabric is positioned betweenthe rim and the cover.
 16. The audio input/output device of claim 13,further comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB), disposed below thelight guide, and having a top surface facing the light guide, whereinthe light source is coupled to the top surface of the PCB.
 17. The audioinput/output device of claim 13, further comprising: a microphonedisposed within the housing; and a speaker disposed within the housing.18. The audio input/output device of claim 13, wherein the opening is afirst opening, further comprising: a mesh fabric covering at least aportion of an exterior of the housing; a bottom cover coupled to thehousing and covering a second opening in the housing, wherein the meshfabric is wrapped over a rim around the second opening such that aportion of the mesh fabric is positioned between the rim and the bottomcover.
 19. The audio input/output device of claim 13, furthercomprising: a printed circuit board (PCB) having a top surface facingthe light guide and a bottom surface, wherein the light source iscoupled to the top surface; and a speaker coupled to the bottom surface.